I don't care what any candidate's plan for health care is...

[TreasonousBastard]

Whatever they plan doesn't have that snowball's chance anyway.

Every Federal plan we have, up to Obamacare, has been sliced, diced, and overcooked during the process to look nothing like it started.

Considering what Obamacare ended up as, does anyone think we have any chance of upending everything we have now? Obamacare was basically trying to insure the uninsured and look what happened. Redoing Medicare to correct deficiencies, eliminating health insurers, doing "something" about Medicaid, organizing the thousands of state, county, and municipal programs into something worthwhile. Including VA, Indian Health Service, armed forces dependents and whatever other federal programs into this grand new project. Solving problems with doctor's and nurse's pay, and getting health care in underserved areas...

The list goes on, but that's just for starters.

Accept the fact that health care is a basic right, and try finding ways to get it out there. We just barely deal with other rights like education, housing, food, and the justice system, so something as complex as health care dealt with in one fell swoop is unimaginable.

I have been on excellent employer systems and others that sucked. No coverage at all at times, and now have the VA and Medicare. The VA sucks in some ways, Medicare others. Most of my meds are generic and cheap enough (so far) that I don't care about having no drug coverage under Medicare. But, insulin is the kicker. Without the VA, my 150 units a day would put me under. And I still don't actually have an endocrinologist to see.

I've known others who have Medicare plus some medigap coverage, and it seems to work reasonably well, but I don't know what odd animal would end up coming out of these "plans".

[Mr.Bill]

1. Medicare and the ACA are not health care plans.

They are health insurance plans.

The only government health care program is the VA.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. I am aware of that, but the way the discussion is going the distinction means little.

[ehrnst]

3. The ACA is not an insurance plan - it's a law that manages several aspects

of insurance availablity.

[Mr.Bill]

4. Okay, that's accurate.

[genxlib]

5. I concur with your rant

Lofty goals are one thing but reality will not get us there.

I would argue that the loftier the goals, the more likely it is to be weaponized against us ultimately putting us in worse shape. In other words, when you swing for the fences, you are more likely to strike out.

Set Universal coverage as a goal and fight for incremental change every day to get there. For now, fight to keep the ACA and propose a public option for a buy-in to Medicare. Even that probably won't happen but it is a reasonable step that could be made without upending the system.

[ehrnst]

7. Universal coverage is the goal of the ACA. HRC was talking about expanding Medicare

to those 55 and over, at a rate higher than if one waited, but still less than what the individual market rates were.

That would need to settle out and be tweaked over a few years, then the next expansion - possibly getting all children 18 and under covered.

And so on.

[Claritie Pixie]

6. Well, it depends. We may win the Senate.

Then those plans really do mean something.

[Wellstone ruled]

8. Hope people realize

a public option into Medicare has a monthly charge of 140 dollars per person. And most likely you will have United Health,Humana,or some type of Blue Cross as the Commission Ripoff up front. And,depending on the state you live in,your base if 80/20 unless you fork out for a over priced supplemental.

Again the system is rigged in favor of Corporate Greed. But,it does produce Campaign Checks for the Politician on the Ways and Means and Health Care Committee's.

[Mr.Bill]

9. True, Medicare is not free.

My Medicare parts A, B & D and supplemental plan from United Health Care through AARP costs around $300 a month. For a plan that accepts pre-existing conditions and will not drop me for a contracted condition, that's by far the best deal around.

But it is important for people to realize that Medicare, in it's present form "for all" is not free health care. People who think it would be are in for a rude awakening.

For someone my age, it's still a great deal.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Sad to say,most are not

grasping the truth,they only want a feel good result.

The CEO of Untied Health recently picked up some more Real Estate on the lake he lives on. Keep those Governmental Subsides a comin.

[bluewater]

10. K&R

[ooky]

12. I care, in the sense that our health care vision doesn't scare voters.

I want voters to feel comfortable with our proposed health care policy and particularly how we get there. I prefer we talk about health care for all as opposed to Medicare for all, and I want our candidates to spend a little more time talking about the disaster that is Republican health care policy, which has brought nothing to the table but problems for so many Americans.